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Volume XIV |

Dynamics of accommodation structures and tourist flows in Băile Felix-Băile 1 Mai and Băile Herculane: a comparative statistical analysis

Abstract: This study examines the long-run co-evolution of accommodation supply and tourist demand in two major Romanian spa destinations – Băile Felix-Băile 1 Mai (Bihor County) and Băile Herculane (Caraș-Severin County) – over 2001-2024. Using annual official statistics from the Romanian National Institute of Statistics – Tempo Online (Institutul Național de Statistică, 2025), we compare primary series for accommodation structures, existing accommodation capacity (bed places), accommodation capacity in function (place-days), tourist arrivals, and overnight stays. We further derive three integrative indicators: average capacity per establishment (as a proxy for supply fragmentation), average length of stay (overnight stays/arrivals), and accommodation capacity utilisation (overnight stays/capacity in function). To contextualise destination roles within their regions, we also compute resort shares within county totals for key supply and demand measures. Results indicate a common structural shift toward a more fragmented accommodation base and a strong compression of average length of stay toward short-stay tourism by the end of the period. Both destinations exhibit synchronised demand disruption in 2020 followed by recovery, but with different post-shock profiles and utilisation trajectories: Băile Herculane starts as a high-utilisation system in the early 2000s, while Băile Felix-Băile 1 Mai sustains comparatively stronger utilisation through most of the 2010s, with convergence in recent years. The findings highlight that, under a short-stay regime, utilisation outcomes depend critically on calibrating operational capacity to demand absorption and on strategies that translate arrivals into overnight volume.

Volume XVIII |

Estimating the tourist carrying capacity for protected areas. A case study for Natura 2000 sites from North-Western Romania

Abstract: The estimation of the tourist support capacity for three Natura 2000 sites located in North-Westerm Romania and the appropriate use of a quantitative methodology adapted to the current working techniques are the main objectives of this scientific approach. In this respect, parameters were determined for obtaining the physical carrying capacity, then the resulting value was modified by the coefficients related to the correction factors. They also consider CAV_NDVI, a factor reflecting the abundance of vegetation and the value of the NDVI spectral index at pixel level, used to quantify the state of vegetation health, as a measure of the ecological status of the sites. The obtained results highlight the sensitivity of the algorithms used for the correction factors and the possibilities of converting these results into elements with practical possibilities for the sustainable sites management.